Think F1 Is A Dangerous Sport? Niki Lauda Disagrees Entirely

Trending News: Racing Legend Niki Lauda Says Formula 1 Is 'Too Safe'

Long Story Short

Considering his tragic accident on the track back in 1976, Niki Lauda, legendary Formula 1 driver — and current non-executive chairman of the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team — seems like the perfect advocate for more safety precautions on the F1 track. However, despite being personally affected by the dangers of the race, Lauda does not think F1 should increase their safety measures.

Long Story

Niki Lauda was in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend. At the annual Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Night, Lauda, alongside F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, addressed his concerns about the future of the sport.

"I would press a reset button." Lauda says when asked what he would change about the sport.

"We are developing Formula 1 in the wrong direction — there are halos on the cars, the circuits are wired, there’s nobody passing closely to each other, if you go off the road, you come back…" Lauda digresses, "I'm not saying that I want to go back to the old days, because you could burn or kill yourself. That’s the wrong direction. But half way back. We have to get the cars to more than 100 horsepower. We have to stop developing safety all the time. We have to reset the whole thing and start again.

What could this mean for the future of Formula 1? Niki Lauda is a driving force in the future of the sport, of course. And while his opinions may come off as surprising at first glance, they certainly say speak volumes about the thrill and passion that can only be felt in the driver's seat on the race circuit.